Toll road authority planned for Montgomery County

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, August 25, 2006

The announcement was made during the monthly meeting of the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County Beautification Committee meeting held on Aug. 15.

Montgomery County Commissioners' Court approved the creation of a toll road authority on Aug. 14, according to Bosma.

The authority will be set up to discuss the issue of creating toll roads in the county.

"You have to establish a toll road authority before you can do anything," said Bosma.

The authority must be finalized by state regulators in Austin before it is officially created Bosma explained.

The first proposed tollway will consist of ramps from State Highway 242 to Interstate 45, according to Bosma. The ramps would be the only portion on which a toll is paid on.

"You can't establish a toll road on pre-existing roads in Texas," said Bosma.

Bosma will serve as the liaison with commissioner's court on the toll road authority.

Other construction projects

Bosma also explained that he is in charge of construction management within the county. He discussed several projects within East Montgomery County.

"We're currently working on Bull Sallas Park," said Bosma, which include enclosing an animal show barn in time for the rodeo in September.

"We're also installing phone lines at the Friendship Center," he said.

Other county projects include renovating the current location of the R.B. Tullis Library in New Caney into a justice of the peace facility. The architectural design for the project was approved on Aug. 14 by commissioners' court, according to Bosma.

Pocket park plans

In other beautification business, the committee discussed whether to go forward with plans to turn the area in front of the court house annex into a pocket park.

Committee President Barbara Egan expressed concern about beautifying the area with landscaping if the plants will not get watered by the county. She said a previous landscaping project at the courthouse annex entrance is close to failure.

"What's the sense of us beautifying these areas if the plants are dying," she asked.

The group decided to halt any action until the county could install an irrigation system into the area to water the plants.

Bosma said that he would talk to the director of maintenance to try to address the issue.

Crape myrtles for sale

Egan explained that the beautification committee is still selling crape myrtle trees in various sizes and colors with prices starting at $5. She encouraged residents to call the chamber office to purchase them to beautify their yards or businesses.

The Beautification Committee meets the third Tuesday of every month at 9 a.m. in the East Montgomery County Improvement District building located on the northbound feeder of U.S. Highway 59, just past Community Drive in New Caney. For more information, call 281-354-0051.